Small-scale, humane slaughter of poultry - Scottish Smallholder Festival 2020

Hobbyists and small producers often ask the Humane Slaughter Association how they can protect the welfare of their poultry at the time of killing, whether culling sick or injured inviduals or if choosing a method of on-farm slaughter for year-round or seasonal meat processing. To prevent suffering and achieve acceptable welfare, we must consider birds’ anatomies and behaviour, with respect to the available techniques. In turn, describing to potential consumers why certain procedures are performed, encourages informed food choices and wider adoption of humane practices.

The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) is over 100 years old and is a charity recognised internationally for promoting scientific, technical and educational advances towards improving the welfare of food animals, worldwide, during transport, at markets, slaughter and killing (e.g. for disease control or welfare reasons).

Jade Spence is the HSA’s Technical Officer. Jade advises industry, smallholders and students on humane principles and techniques, and of the latest technology and good practices for animal welfare. Jade writes practical HSA guidance on how to maintain a high level of welfare for mammals, poultry and fish, and further communicates the benefits of high-welfare standards by expanding HSA’s range of translated publications (including Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Russian).

Produced by the Humane Slaughter Association for the 2020 Scottish Smallholder Festival

Humane Slaughter Association: https://www.hsa.org.uk/
Scottish Smallholder Festival: https://ssgf.uk/
Smallholding Scotland: https://smallholding.scot/

Supported by The Scottish Government and SRUC.

Scottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/
SRUC: https://www.sruc.ac.uk